Feedback Careers

Leadership

ACRT Services Leadership Team

About the ACRT Services Board of Directors

ACRT Services is privileged to be led and advised by exceptional, experienced professionals from the utility services industry as well as others. Together, our board of directors shape our organizational vision and strategy, ensure our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) remains strong for our nationwide team, and ensure that our family of companies continues to make a positive, measurable impact for our customers.

As the parent company of our family of brands, the ACRT Services board of directors and advisers includes inside and outside directors, our executive leadership team, and the presidents of our four subsidiaries: ACRT, ACRT Pacific, Bermex, and EnviroScience. Each of our subsidiaries is also governed by a board of directors.

2022-2023 Board of Directors. Front row, L-R: Anna Davis, John Wasmer, Kevin Puls, C. Troy Ross, Charles Delacey, Nan McClenaghan, Mike Weidner, Bob Owca, Tony Colly, Brad Schroeder, H. Alen Rothenbuecher, Kenny Murphy, Dave Pavlich, Jamie Krejsa, Rian Owens, Allie Hartfelder, Brian Joiner.
Missing Don Esch

ACRT Services Board Members

Don Esch

Don Esch

Don Esch recently retired after 18 years as the President and CEO of Bettcher Industries — a very mature and successful ESOP company located in North Central Ohio. During his tenure with Bettcher, Don successfully grew the company and continually increased its value to the ESOP participants. Don brings a rich history of company growth in an ESOP environment. Throughout his career, he has been a “change agent,” focusing on the practical application of business principles to help grow and transition companies and employees into high-opportunity market segments. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Albion College and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma. He currently serves as the chair of our board, as the chairman of the strategy committee of the board of directors, and as a member of the audit committee.

Michael Weidner

Michael B. Weidner

Michael B. Weidner is the chief executive officer of ACRT Services. In addition to his leadership career with our organization, Michael brings a wealth of experience from other organizations in the industry. He became CEO of our organization in 2000. In 2003, he established our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), and in 2017, he presided over our reorganization into our family companies. He serves as president for the ACRT Services board of directors and on the management committee as chairman. He is also a member of our audit, compensation, governance, and strategy committees. Michael holds an associate degree in applied science from The Ohio State University.

Tony Colly

Anthony “Tony” Colly is the senior vice president and chief human resource officer for Summa Health, a nonprofit integrated healthcare delivery system in Northeast Ohio. Colly served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 10 years in several capacities related to recruiting and specializes in employee relations, compliance with rules and regulations, and recruiting. He is a Society for Human Resource Management, Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and human resource management from Columbia Southern University, respectfully. He is an outside director for our board, chair of the compensation committee, and a member of the strategy committee.

Charles DeLacey

Charles DeLacey

Charles “Charlie” DeLacey is the chief executive officer for the Kenan Advantage Group, one of the largest fuel hauling companies in the United States. In a previous role, Charlie led the execution of merger and acquisition assignments across a variety of industries for leading independent M&A advisory firms. Charlie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University and his MBA from Harvard University. He is an outside director for our board, the chairman for the audit committee, and a member of the compensation and strategy committees.

Nancy McClenaghan

Nancy Ellis McClenaghan

Nancy “Nan” Ellis McClenaghan is the president and chief executive officer of Goodwill Industries of Akron, Ohio. Nan brings a keen focus on organizational design and business processes. Having previously worked for Dominion Resources, her knowledge of the utility industry provides insight on customer goals. Nan has her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio University and her MBA from the University of Akron. She is an outside director for our board, the chairperson for the governance committee, and a member of the audit, compensation, and strategy committees.

Dave Pavlich

Dave Pavlich

Dave Pavlich is the chief information officer of ACRT Services. Prior to joining our organization in 2016, Dave served as a partner and chief information officer at Dealer Tire. He has held information technology leadership positions at large Fortune 500 and mid-market organizations for both private and publicly held companies. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Kent State University as well as an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. He is assistant secretary to our board of directors and currently serves on the governance, management, and strategy committees.

Troy Ross

C. Troy Ross

Troy Ross began his career with the organization in 1999 as a consulting utility forester and has grown with our organization since. He is the chief operations officer at ACRT Services, a role in which he oversees all ACRT Services companies. He is responsible for maintaining a great working culture for customers and employees. Prior to his roles at ACRT Services, Troy served as president of ACRT — our vegetation management subsidiary. He is also a member of our strategy and management committees and looks to continue to provide the organization with innovative thinking and exceptional leadership among other things. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Union University and holds an MBA from Ashland University.

Brad Schroeder

Brad Schroeder is the chief financial officer of ACRT Services. Prior to joining our organization in 2012, Brad served in financial leadership positions for Fortune 500 companies and most recently as the vice president of finance for a major national transportation firm. He serves on a number of boards for local for-profit and non-profit organizations. Brad holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Bowling Green State University and an MBA in Finance from The University of Akron. On our board, he serves as an inside director as well as our treasurer. He is also a member of our audit, management, and strategy committees.

John Wasmer

John Wasmer

John Wasmer is the executive vice president of revenue for ACRT Services, a role in which he oversees the business development management group as well as the marketing and communications department. Prior to his promotion to our parent company, John served as president of ACRT Pacific. He began his career with our organization in 2003 with ACRT as a contract utility forester and, like many of our leadership team members, is a prime example of how employees can grow their careers within our organization. His focus is on strengthening communications throughout the organization while focusing on growth and diversification of revenue. John holds a bachelor’s degree in forest resources management and a minor in public relations from West Virginia University. John also serves on the management committee in addition to his primary role as an inside director for our board.

Allie Hartfelder

Allie Hartfelder is the vice president of human resources at ACRT Services. She has been with the organization since 2019 and has progressive experience in all facets of human resources. Hartfelder holds a Master of Business Administration in marketing from the University of Akron and a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the HR Certification Institute. She has over fifteen years of experience in building and leading high-performing teams and implementing human resource programs that focus on results through multiple markets, including hospital administration and retail. Hartfelder serves on several committees for the Board of Directors including the compensation, strategy, and management committees.

Board Advisors

Brian Joiner

Brian Joiner is the current president of ACRT Pacific. He brings more than 20 years of experience in working with the largest utility in California, making his expertise a great fit for the position and as the head of our California vegetation management subsidiary. Prior to his position at ACRT Pacific, Brian was director of operations for ACRT. In addition to advising our board of directors, Brian also serves as an inside director for the ACRT Pacific board of directors. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Parks and Natural Resource Management from California State University, Chico.

Kenny Murphy

Kenny Murphy

Kenny Murphy is the president of Bermex, our metering services subsidiary, where he is focused on adding new innovation and technology while growing the company. He joined our organization in 2005 with ACRT, a sister company of Bermex focusing on vegetation management services, as a contract utility forester after previously managing a utility division in Texas. He grew his career with our organization while at ACRT, eventually holding the position of director of operations. He was promoted to president of Bermex in 2019. He holds a Bachelor of Science in forest management from Stephen F. Austin State University. He is also an inside director on the board of directors at Bermex, our metering services company.

Kevin Puls

Kevin Puls is the president of ACRT. He has been with the company for more than 20 years and began his career with us as a work planner. He worked his way up to become an operations manager, senior operations manager, and director of operations. He attended Mount Union College where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology and holds an MBA from Ashland University. In addition to serving as an adviser on the ACRT Services board of directors, Kevin also serves on the ACRT board of directors as an inside director.

Jamie Krejsa

Jamie Krejsa is the president of EnviroScience, our ecological consulting firm. He has nearly 30 years of experience and specializes in restoration, natural resources, marine services, compliance services, and toxicity testing. Jamie has been central to the growth of ES and has overseen the management and execution of over 10,000 site evaluations nationally — reinforcing his expertise in all varieties of biological evaluations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minors in chemistry and geology from the University of Akron.

H. Alan Rothenbuecher

Alan Rothenbuecher is the secretary on the ACRT Services board of directors. He is a partner at Benesch Law and also serves as outside general counsel to our organization. He brings significant experience in building and protecting assets, conducting risk analysis, and providing strategic corporate counsel. He has been working with our organization since 2000. Alan regularly speaks at industry events and has authored numerous articles on risk management and contract issues. He serves on the audit, compensation, governance, strategy, and executive committees. Alan holds a BA from the University of Michigan and a JD from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Anna Davis

Anna Davis is an operations manager at ACRT. She is an ISA Certified Arborist and oversees the ACRT Ready Force® team. Davis is a member of the ACRT Services family of companies’ Wellness Committee, a member of the ACRT Safety Committee, and formerly served as chairwoman of the Area Safety Representative group for ACRT. She currently holds the voting employee board member seat and serves on the governance committee. Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in geography with GIS from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Rian Owens

Rian Owens is an operations manager at ACRT Pacific and has been with the company since 2016. He is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist and is currently a non-voting member of the ACRT Services Board of Directors. Owens is an active member of the ACRT Pacific organization and currently serves as the chair of the ACRT Pacific Safety Committee. He attended the College of Redwoods in Eureka, Calif., where he earned an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate.